Each day a different image or photograph is featured, with an
accompanying caption, which deals with various topics in Earth Science.

Ice Fractures on Candlewood Lake

The ice that formed on Candlewood Lake, in southwest Connecticut, in January of 2003 was remarkably clear, dark, and smooth. On this particular day, the ice averaged about 8 inches (20 cm) thick, and fractures that developed in the ice created these intricate patterns. Shearing forces, where the fractures "took a turn," produced the multiple, roughly parallel, vertical fractures pictured here. The area of the photo covers approximately 2 square ft. (0.2 square m).